Bhubaneswar, June 14: The aroma of paan and pithas has filled the air. Women irrespective of age are enjoying on swings and pampering themselves, and why won't they! It's Raja and it's time for them to have some fun.
The three-day festival celebrates Mother Earth's fertility and the spirit of womanhood.
Donning new dresses and jewellery, women are busy making the most of the time at malls and restaurants. Soaking in the festive spirit, girls are seen swinging at parks in the city. Beautifully decorated rope swings have been hung from trees in various localities in the city.
"I eagerly wait for these three days when we get to wear new clothes and spend time with my friends and play on the swings. It is a great occasion to celebrate womanhood," said Bindiya Mohanty, a resident of Nayapalli.
Girls here have found unique ways to celebrate the festival. A few participated in a selfie contest organised by a local fashion brand while others visited a special home to spend time with underprivileged children.
"Raja is all about spreading joy. So, we thought of dedicating the day to the children and distribute chocolates and other necessary items such as sanitary kits to young girls. The feeling was quite cherishing," said 24-year-old architect Sreeja Poonam.
Cultural organisations here city are giving urban revellers a chance to experience the original traditions of Raja by engaging them in preparation of authentic local dishes and perform folk songs and dances.
Women took part in various competitions such as mehndi and pitha-making contests organised by the Satya Nagar Ladies Forum. A cultural evening organised by the Masal group witnessed young performers showcasing their skills in various dance forms, including Labani, Sambalpuri and Odissi. A special celebration was also organised by the Odisha Patita Udhar Samiti for the children of jail prisoners. Kids indulged in spending time on swings as they put on colourful bangles, painted their nails and applied alata and mehndi.
The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation is also organising a Raja Mahotsav at Panthanivas here. A food festival held at Panthanivas is selling authentic Odia country cakes or pithas such as manda, kakara, aarisha, guda pitha, kheer and Raja paan. Various events are also being held at Panthanivas in Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Chandipur, Barakul, Paradip and Konark.
"Raja celebrations is incomplete without pithas. As most of the members in our house are working, my cousins and I came here to gorge on a few of them," said Abhipsa Tripathy, a 32-year-old schoolteacher.
The Raja fervour was also at its peak in Cuttack where women took a break from their household chores to prepare various types of pithas with their friends. They also enjoyed various traditional games such as puchhi and kowdi.
Like here, the festival is being celebrated in Puri, Paradip, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Baripada, Bhadrak and Balasore.
